


not my intention

by arileenu



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: ( for the second half), Fluff, Kissing, Lack of Communication, Love Confessions, M/M, THIS IS KINDA BAD IM SORRY, Tension, Unreliable Narrator, background tori x hajime, bc hes pining, cant believe i wrote something for enstars, eichi is bad at feelings, its like mentioned very briefly while tori is thinking, wipes sweat off forehead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:27:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27287884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arileenu/pseuds/arileenu
Summary: there's always been something more to eichi and wataru's interactions. eichi isn't sure what they are, whether close friends or something more.(spoiler: they're something more.)
Relationships: Hibiki Wataru/Tenshouin Eichi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 57





	1. confirmation

It was not an official thing--never would be. It was too flakey, too dangerous, and, above all, much too complicated a thing. It was rarely--no, _never_ \--spoken of. It was too confusing, for Eichi, at least. Sometimes Eichi wondered if it was only confusing to him. He wondered if Wataru knew what they were doing and saw it clear as day. Maybe it _was_ an official thing. Perhaps Eichi had missed something, let it fall through his frail, thin fingers. 

He was not well-versed in social affairs, much less romance. With a childhood occupied by hospital beds and a past that caused most people to sneer as they passed him in the hallway, Eichi had few friends. Current friends, at least. There were many people that Eichi didn’t know how to classify, as well. But that was all besides the point, besides the real issue that plagued his mind every night. 

It’d been a few weeks, at most. 

Now, Eichi could always feel something more bubbling in his chest or atmosphere whenever he interacted with Wataru. A sort of tension, a sort of unspoken statement that both parties knew of, but never brought up. It always lingered on Eichi like old perfume, a sort of giddy and elated air taking over his usual, preserved self. 

One time, it was different. The two boys, Eichi and Wataru, had been kicking it back in the student council room. Eichi had a small glass of tea that burnt his tongue with every sip. Wataru’s tea sat untouched on the coffee table, his body tilted toward Eichi while Eichi sat straight up, facing the wall. They were not speaking. Wataru simply stared at Eichi like he was something interesting to look at, which he was not. At least, Eichi didn’t think so. The romantic fog was still present like it always was, and Eichi believed this to just be another normal day. The sun was shining through the open window like it always was, the chatter of tired students on a Friday afternoon drifting in like a breeze. They were both in uniform, Eichi set on finishing up some work after they finished their tea and Wataru would make his leave (his tea, Eichi should say. Wataru rarely finished his before deciding to step out the door). 

The movement was sudden, the singular swift difference turning the air around them sharp, like icicles that were suddenly falling from the ceiling, puncturing Eichi’s thin skin and leaving him alert. Wataru had leaned forward, grabbing Eichi’s chin between his thumb and pointer finger, gently turning Eichi’s head toward him. Eichi had barely been able to breathe before Wataru’s lips were on his. The press was barely there, chaste and soft. And, again, before Eichi could mutter one word, or even blink, Wataru was standing, waving in the doorway. “I should head off early today.” His tone was hard to identify. The hint of a smirk lingered on his lips, the proudness Wataru always carried with him somehow amplified. But Eichi barely had the chance to admire it with the new advancement.

Nowadays, these occurrences were common. Soft touches at the back of the neck, the interlocking of hands under a table. In retrospect, sure, they could’ve been entirely platonic. But with the sudden kiss on that sunny and hazy afternoon, Eichi knew they were not, and so did Wataru. What Eichi didn’t know was if this made them a couple, or if they would soon go back to the “will-they or won’t-they” state. 

Eichi was sitting behind his large, shiny desk on an afternoon not unlike the one where the kiss took place. He was gazing at the wall, mind preoccupied with meaningless wonders, his ears half-straining to hear the conversations taking place just outside the door as students wandered out of classrooms, exhaling as school ended (for them, at least. Eichi still spends most of his time here. Tireless activity never seems to pause for him).

Eichi was under the impression that Wataru had club activities today, but he supposes he is wrong when Wataru struts through the door. Eichi is opening his mouth to ask about it when Wataru settles his hip on the edge of the desk, sitting and watching as Eichi stumbles to create words. 

“Hello, darling,” Wataru interrupts him instead, his smile having the form of a smirk but a warm gentleness to it. 

“Wataru,” Eichi responds, the word coming out like a relieved sigh. “I thought you were busy today.”

Wataru ignores his question, and slides off of his spot on the desk. He stands at the center of it now, leaning over and dangerously close to Eichi’s face. This is normal for their interactions these days, but the intimacy still makes Eichi almost jump, makes his face grow warm. _How can this be so natural for Wataru?_

“Whenever I come in here, you’re either working or falling asleep. What’s with that?”

“Well, first of all, it’s basically my office. What else am I supposed to be doing besides work? And… I doubt I fall asleep here _that_ often.”

“Exactly. You’re always in here, so you’re always doing work. And I beg to differ about not falling asleep. I just never wake you up when I find you. You turn much softer in sleep, Eichi, like a precious kitten. Who am I to ruin that?”

Eichi blushes at the comment, but makes no response to it. “Well, it doesn’t matter now. It’s not like I was working or sleeping right _now_. I was just thinking. Is that better, Wataru?”

Wataru chuckles softly, dimples wrinkling at the edge of his mouth. His face is framed by the sunlight coming in from behind Eichi, and he genuinely looks like a ray of light. Eichi has known for a long time that Wataru is one of the most beautiful persons he knows, but said beauty never ceases to leave him awe-stricken. “Ah, but you were. You would’ve fallen asleep if I hadn’t come in at the time I did.”

“For the first time, I think I’m going to have to disagree with you.” 

Suddenly, Wataru’s smile disappears and is replaced with an uncomfortable frown, his dimples turned upside down. “You have circles under your eyes, Eichi. Dark ones.” His hand makes it to Eichi’s cheek, thumbing the smooth skin there, then tracing a triangle of freckles that have always rested under the outward corner of Eichi’s eye. Eichi’s breath hitches suddenly, skin jolting at the new contact. Things don’t often catch him off guard, but this conversation and touch do. He almost whimpers when Wataru pulls his hand away. “Sorry,” Wataru breathes, pulling himself back. Eichi thinks it’s the first time he’s seen Wataru regret something, and it makes his chest ache. 

Eichi stands so quickly that he barely feels the seconds in between. He thinks his chair might’ve clattered down behind him, but he doesn’t hear it. Blood is rushing to his head like a reverse waterfall, screaming in his ears, but it’s not louder than the regret and questions and longing running through his mind. “I was just surprised--” he says, quieter than he meant to. He’s not sure Wataru heard him, so he reaches his hands out to paw at Wataru’s chest, grabbing onto the fabric there. “I just--” he stops, then sighs. Instead of staring at his own feet, he reaches Wataru’s eyes, latching onto the eye contact as much as he can muster. His grip on the front of Wataru’s uniform grows tighter. “What are we? What is… this? Why do you do this to me? Why don’t we talk about it?”

Wataru took the hand twisted in his chest and pressed a chaste kiss to its center. “We are whatever you want us to be.” He brought the hand back to his chest, cradling it like a child, turning Eichi’s icy hand warm. “And I didn’t take you for the type who wanted to talk about the intricacies of a relationship. And I don’t think I am that type of person, either. Unless you do want to.”

All Eichi could do was stare at Wataru, mouth gaping. The atmosphere had turned tense again, awkward and prickly. Eichi felt like squirming, but he didn’t want to lose the warmth of Wataru’s hand against his own. “I--” he closed his mouth, letting the words come to him clearly before he could say something he regretted. “I just need to know that this isn’t a… fleeting thing. I don’t want to be toyed with.”

Wataru pressed another kiss to Eichi’s hand, but to his knuckles this time. “That has never been my intention, dear.”

And the action was so intimate, the kiss and the pet name combined, that Eichi’s face flushed a deep red. Watching Wataru suppress a giggle at Eichi’s flusteredness, he only grew more embarrassed. “Okay,” he finally said, sighing in relief. “Good.”

Eichi watches Wataru shuffle around the desk, soon on the same side as Eichi. Wataru is about to lean forward to kiss Eichi, but Eichi decides he wants to be the one to take initiative. So, in one swift motion, he grabs the tie at Wataru’s neck, and locks their lips together. Eichi almost finds himself smiling into the kiss when he can feel that even Wataru is taken aback by the action.

Before this, of the few kisses they’d shared, they had always been short, like teasers for a longer and exciting movie. This kiss is long and desperate. It’s the unraveling of a ball of yarn, it’s the melting of five feet of snow in winter. It’s the result of a long and grueling build-up--a snap. And it’s good, God, it’s good. Eichi wonders how he ever thought that God was unfair to him, because he thinks this might be the best thing anyone can experience. 

Eichi leaves the school grounds feeling satisfied despite not getting any work done.


	2. speculations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tori has noticed a difference.

Tori notices it first. Tori may play the young and dumb role, but he’s not entirely oblivious. He’s happy for the change, really. But he’s confused by it--almost worried. Eichi’s had a burst of happiness. He’s put more time aside to relax and has smiled more in one week than Tori thinks he has his entire life. 

Tori is happy. He’s elated at the advancement, but again--it’s confusing! He doesn’t know where all of this came from, and he doesn’t like the idea of Eichi keeping more secrets from him, or any of _fine_ , for that matter. 

The only reason he’s slightly worried is because he knows he read somewhere that people always have a burst of energy--or something like that--right before they die. Tori’s not sure how plausible this reason for Eichi’s mood is, but with Eichi’s sickness, he doesn’t think he can entirely rule it out. He prefers not to think about it, though. 

He remembers when he and the rest of fine speculated about Yuzuru being in love. Could this be a similar case? 

Tori rules that out, though. He just feels like he would know immediately if the boss was in love. Plus, he hadn’t heard of Eichi having any female friends besides Anzu, and Anzu--Tori doesn’t think Eichi would ever go after her. And if Eichi is the type to want a boyfriend instead of a girlfriend, then Tori still can’t think of anyone. No one in Yumenosaki was good enough. So, he can’t imagine Eichi going after any of them either. Of the people Tori does like at Yumenosaki, like Hajime, for example--Tori can’t stand the idea of Eichi being with him. Thinking about it makes him feel as though he has been slapped. So Eichi can’t be in love. There is no way. It’s not possible. 

“Yuzuru, what do you think?” he asks Yuzuru one day, waiting for the rest of the student council to show up in their office. 

Yuzuru glances up swiftly, blinking and staring confusedly. “Think of what, young master? Have I missed something?”

Tori is about to roll his eyes before he realizes it’s actually quite impossible for Yuzuru to read his mind. “About the boss. Eichi. He’s been…” he trails off, looking for the right word. 

“In higher spirits?” Yuzuru finishes for him instead, his tone making it sound like this topic of conversation isn’t as exciting as Tori finds it. He’s a bit perplexed at that. 

“Yes!” Tori sighs. “It’s good. Really, really good. But I can’t help but wonder why.”

“Is it truly our business?”

Tori gapes at him before realizing, okay, maybe it isn’t their business. Or anyone’s, for that matter. Maybe he just needs to leave it be. Eichi is happy, and that’s all Tori needs to know. If it’s something as important as some of the options Tori has thought of, he figures Eichi will tell them all in due time. Eventually. Some day. And if he never did--that was fine too, no matter how annoyed it made Tori feel. 

Eichi and Keito wander through the door before Tori has time to think about it for any longer. 

Another week goes by, and Tori has come up with dozens more possible reasons for Eichi’s skyrocketing mood. What he doesn’t have, though, is confirmation for any of them. He’s even considered asking Eichi directly, but he has the feeling that Eichi’s mood would start to plummet again if he did. And he really doesn’t want that. The unit has been doing amazing lately, their practices filled with both improvement and laughter from everyone. Tori looks forward to everyday like it’s a holiday, and he thinks that everyone else is, too. 

Tori is realizing how much he loves _fine_ , both the members and their concepts. Eichi’s mood is not only good, but great enough that it’s spreading to everyone. 

Tori is walking to the student council room with Yuzuru by his side on a Wednesday. The hallways have people scattered here and there, but most people are already through the front door of the school or already in their respective clubs. Tori and Yuzuru are running late by mere accident, getting too caught up in a conversation that they took a wrong turn somewhere. But besides that, it’s like any other day. The weather has started to cool down though, and the sun isn’t coming through the windows so harshly. The school’s ACs are still blasting despite the change in weather, so it’s cold inside. Tori snuggles into his own arms, rubbing at the fabric containing them to generate some warmth. 

He’s still doing so when Yuzuru pushes the council door open, turning around immediately to let Tori in first. Tori walks in without looking up, preoccupied with warming himself. 

He finally looks up when he hears Yuzuru blurt “Oh,” behind him. 

And everything just _clicks_. 

Eichi is backed up into his own desk, Wataru standing before him. They’re too close to have just been having a conversation, Tori knows that. He’s not stupid, and neither is everyone else in the room. Eichi’s giddy smile falls into a nervous, thin line, his cheeks starting to scatter red. Wataru looks completely dumbfounded, and Tori is surprised he doesn’t have anything to say like he usually does. 

Tori turns back to Yuzuru, who is simply looking away. His face is slightly red, too, at the display of affection in front of them. Tori looks back to Eichi and Wataru, and they’ve separated, Wataru having taken a step back and Eichi one to the side. “Yuzuru,” Tori calls, and makes sure he’s not facing away from all of them anymore. 

Tori figures that he should make sure the two of them know he’s not mad, or something. Why would he be? Shocked, of course, but also a little mad at himself. 

Firstly, he’s mad at himself for immediately ruling out the option that Eichi is in love. Obviously, he’s wrong, and even though he’s the only one who knows he was, shame still digs into him slightly. He’s also mad at himself because it makes so much sense. He remembers making a comment himself that Wataru and Eichi get along very well. The past version of himself doesn’t know how right he is. Tori can’t stop himself from giggling. 

Eichi’s face turns almost unsightly with the deep frown that now takes place. “Why are you laughing?” he asks, and his voice shakes. Tori immediately regrets how he underestimated the severity of the situation. 

“Nothing! Nothing--it just makes sense.”

“What?”

“You’ve been… happier, lately. We all noticed. I guess Theatre Kid over there especially did,” he giggles again.

The wave of relief that crosses Eichi’s face is almost comical. His hands stop shaking, and he’s standing up straight again. He doesn’t move away when Wataru takes a step closer to him, wrapping a hand around Eichi’s waist. And, wow--Tori is going to have to get used to that. But they’re both smiling, and it makes Tori’s chest flutter with appreciation, a fondness for both of them. His heart swells with a love for everyone in the room, for _fine_ , and decides he can be nosy for a bit until the other student council members make it into the room and Wataru has to leave. 

“So, who made the first move?”

**Author's Note:**

> HEEYY i never thought id be writing an enstars fic, like Wow, but this was actually pretty fun and i enjoyed it. i hope u like it too


End file.
